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We already know that a healthy lifestyle is a major factor in living a long life, but studies now show that having hobbies and staying socially active are equally important. Learn more from these secrets to living a longer life,…

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Secrets to Living a Longer (Happier) Life

We already know that a healthy lifestyle is a major factor in living a long life, but studies now show that having hobbies and staying socially active are equally important.

Learn more from these secrets to living a longer life, which show how mental and social activity are just as critical as physical activity when it comes to healthy aging.

Longevity in Seniors

What does it mean to have a healthy lifestyle as we age? Scientists are finding that if seniors want to live longer, it’s more than a matter of just eating right and staying fit — but we can’t forget that those are still important.

In fact, for seniors in a study conducted in Sweden, those who were physically active — getting regular exercise through gymnastics, swimming and walking — lived more than two years longer on average, and those who didn’t smoke lived a year longer than smokers. Diet is important too — those who are overweight or underweight are at greater risk of mortality as they age.

In the study on Swedish seniors, scientists also looked at factors that haven’t been studied as closely; namely, whether mental activity and social engagement also affect longevity.

The group of 1810 seniors age 75 and older were followed over an 18-year period and quizzed on their activities, and those who lived the longest had a number of characteristics in common:

They did not smoke

They engaged in a range of mental activities, productive hobbies and social activities

They experienced regular physical activity

They had a rich social network of family and friends

All told, the seniors who were active mentally, physically and socially were the most likely to live past the age of 90, and lived an average of 5.4 years longer than inactive seniors, reports the Assisted Living Federation of America.

Secrets to Living a Long Life

The researchers listed a wide range of leisure activities that are associated with health and longevity, aside from physical exercise.

The National Institute on Aging further notes that these activities can increase seniors’ sense of well-being as well as lowering the risk of some health problems, including dementia.

1. Mental Activities

Doing crossword puzzles

Drawing

Painting

Playing a musical instrument

Reading books

Reading newspapers

Studying

Writing

2. Productive Activities

Cooking

Gardening

Knitting

Volunteering at a hospital or library

Working a part-time job

3. Social Activities

Going to concerts or performances

Joining a senior center

Playing cards

Playing games

Starting a book club

Taking a class or course

Traveling

Visiting art museums

How active are the seniors in your lives? We want to hear your secrets to living and suggestions for longevity in the comments below.

9 Enjoyable Activities for Seniors with Limited Mobility

Seniors with limited mobility can still enjoy a variety of activities

Many older adults lose mobility due to conditions like stroke, severe arthritis, or injuries from falls. When that happens, activities and hobbies they used to enjoy might now be too difficult.

But loss of mobility doesn’t mean the end of good times. There are many ways to have fun without needing to move around too much.

We rounded up 9 wonderful activities for seniors with limited mobility. You’re sure to find something that suits your older adult as well as things that can be done together with other people.

9 great activities for seniors with limited mobility

1. Spend time readingReading is a fantastic activity for older adults. It’s a fun way to spend time and keep the brain engaged. It can also improve memory, reduce stress, improve sleep, and delay cognitive decline.

Whether your older adult likes reading physical books, magazines, using an e-reader, or listening to audiobooks, they can immerse themselves in a well-told story, look at photographs, or learn about an interesting new topic.

Organizing a book club among their friends is another way for seniors to enjoy reading and socializing.

2. Explore a variety of hobbiesHobbies are great for older adults with limited mobility. Activities that don’t require a lot of moving around include cooking, baking, birdwatching, knitting, crochet, indoor or container gardening, playing a musical instrument, or practicing languages.

This is also a perfect time to learn something new – maybe there are hobbies or interests they’ve never had a chance to explore before. Learning is also a great way to stay sharp and keep boredom at bay.

3. Exercise regularlyEven if your older adult isn’t very mobile, there may still be exercises they can do to get their bodies moving. Whether they’re sitting or standing, they can still get the health and mood benefits, especially from chair exercises or chair yoga routines.

4. Get creativeGetting in touch with their creative side is another fun way for seniors to spend time.

Drawing, coloring, painting, and sculpture are all wonderful ways to be creative. Fun projects might include creating scrapbooks, organizing family photo albums, or making a family recipe book.

As a plus, being creative also comes with health benefits. Research has found creative activities can help people who are battling chronic illness to decrease negative emotions and increase positive ones, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve medical outcomes.

5. Spend time outdoorsGetting outside to spend a little time in nature is relaxing and a great mood booster.

Even if their limited mobility means that your older adult can only get to the porch or sit next to a big window, getting some fresh air or viewing the scenery is a great everyday activity.

6. Have fun with happy visitorsAsking family or friends with babies or friendly pets to stop by for a visit is another fantastic way to engage an older adult.

Almost everyone perks up in the presence of young children. And playing with pets is another surefire way to bring cheer and reduce stress.

7. Play games!Games and puzzles are a fantastic source of fun times. There are so many to choose from and most can be played in groups with visitors, one-on-one for quality time together, and solo.

8. Enjoy movies, TV shows, or musicWatching TV all day isn’t a healthy pastime, but a movie or a couple of TV shows can be an enjoyable part of the day or week.

Watching TV could even intersect with a hobby. For example, your older adult might be interested in watching a documentary on a topic they’re learning about. Or, channels like the Food Network or the Travel Channel could inspire new recipes to try or travel destinations to learn about.

Listening (or singing along!) to music they like is another great activity. Music has the power to reduce stress, anxiety, and pain. It also improves immune function and sleep as well as helping memory.

9. Participate in charitable worksEven if your older adult isn’t very mobile or is homebound, they can still give back to the community. This is a wonderful way to stay engaged and feel a sense of purpose and accomplishment.

Contact local charities, hospitals, or religious organizations to find out if they have any projects your older adult could contribute to. That could mean knitting or crocheting blankets or hats, creating no-sew blankets, or helping to assemble care packages.

How To Take Care Of Others Without Burning Out

How to Take Care of Others Without Burning Out

In our over-stressed world, many health care providers, social workers and caregivers are suffering from slow yet painful burnout. Many of the rest of us, working long hours and raising families, seem to be approaching burnout, too. Sometimes we may feel that we’re too exhausted to keep giving to others, even though giving is a primary source of happiness in our lives.

So how can we keep giving without burning out? We’re told that self-care is the answer: Give yourself a treat; you deserve it. Take some time for yourself. Say no.

Indeed, a research review found that psychologists in training who practice more self-care report feeling less distressed and stressed and more satisfied with life. The question is: What does self-care look like, and how much of it do we need?

As it turns out, the trick is to be other-focused and kind, but to balance that with taking care of yourself as well. Here are some practices to help you do that.

Self-compassion

Self-compassion is treating yourself as you would a friend—with kindness rather than self-judgment—especially at times when you fail. Self-compassion is remembering that we all make mistakes, instead of beating ourselves up. And it means being mindful of emotions and thoughts without getting overly immersed in them. Self-compassion doesn’t mean being indulgent or letting yourself off the hook, but it also doesn’t mean being overly self-critical and harsh.

Elaine Beaumont at the University of Salford in England has conducted numerous studies looking at the impact of self-compassion on burnout and compassion fatigue. In a study of 100 student midwives—who routinely see both the miracle of new life and the tragedies that can accompany childbirth—Beaumont and her team found that midwives who had higher levels of self-compassion also showed less burnout and compassion fatigue symptoms. The opposite was true of midwives who were highly self-critical. She repeated this study with different caretaker professions and found similar results in nurses and students training to be counselors and psychotherapists.

In addition to being protected against burnout, people who are more self-compassionate tend to report feeling less stress and negative emotions. They’re also more optimistic and feel more happiness and other positive emotions, among other benefits.

Social connection

Caring for ourselves also means seeking social connections who can provide practical and emotional support to us when we’re struggling. A study of nurses found that belonging to a more cohesive group at work helps prevent burnout and compassion fatigue, reducing the effects of stress and trauma.

This should come as no surprise: Social connection, from birth to old age, is one of our greatest human needs. Social connection leads to lower rates of anxiety and depression, strengthens our immune system, and can even lengthenour life.

Researchers agree that social connection has less to do with the number of friends you have than with how connected you feel on the inside, subjectively. In other words, you don’t have to be a social butterfly to reap the benefits; just aim to cultivate an internal sense of belonging with those around you.

How? The tricky part is that stress is linked to self-focus; our stressed minds turn towards me, myself and I—making us even more miserable and disconnected from others. Meditation, yoga, breathing exercises and walks in nature, as well as curbing caffeine, can all help us calm down and feel ready to reach out to others. A study we conducted at Stanford showed that loving-kindness meditation can be a quick way to nurture a sense of connection. Better yet, try meditating with a partner.

Empathy and compassion

It might seem counterintuitive that empathy—which includes attending to others’ struggles—would help us with our own, particularly for caregivers. But research in social workers shows that having more empathy can also prevent burnout. Brain-imaging research by Tania Singer suggests that compassion training can actually make you better at coping with other people’s suffering—helping you help others without paying the cost yourself.

One potential explanation for this finding is that, by developing feelings like compassion and empathy, we are protected from feeling distressed or overwhelmed in the face of suffering. When you truly connect with another person who is suffering, you can actually feel empowered and energized because you are inspired to uplift that person.

We’ve all had the experience of having a friend ask for help during a time of emergency. In these moments, we are usually capable of so much more than we imagined—we seem to find hidden reserves of energy. Afterward, we end up feeling much better than we did before.

Again, loving-kindness meditation is one way to start to cultivate empathy. When you speak with someone who is suffering, practicing active listening can help you provide comfort and support to them without having to solve their problems.

The benefits of giving

If we can figure out how to continue giving to others without suffering from burnout, we can expect to reap many benefits.

For example, volunteering can have a positive impact on health, with benefitsfor obesity, blood glucose, blood pressure, and longevity. Older volunteers can derive a great feeling of purpose and self-esteem from volunteering; research shows that it makes them feel happier, more connected to others and more confident of their self-worth. The benefits of volunteering for well-being seem to be universal, holding across cultures as well as generations.

Other studies have found that we’re happier when we spend money on others, and that we experience more positive emotions when we engage in acts of kindness for others, rather than ourselves. As a researcher of happiness and someone who has written a book on the topic, I can attest to the many, many studies that have been written on the subject.

Self-compassion, social connection, and empathy are powerful forms of self-care—but that doesn’t mean that traditional self-care activities have no place in our lives. Keeping your spirits up with exercise, sleeping in and making room for fun activities like movies or shopping are important. These pleasures give us short bursts of happiness that can help fuel us and keep us playful in life. To complement these more physical pleasures, however, giving and connecting with others in positive ways will bring us long-lasting feelings of joy that come from a life of purpose and meaning. The balance between the two is a ripe recipe for a happy, long and fulfilling life.

Meet Yolanda, Caregiver of the Month for August 2017!

Yolanda has worked for Sheridan Care since 2014. She was so beloved by her previous client, she worked with her until she passed away. She is very dedicated, kind and compassionate. She is an excellent communicator and consistently updates our office with any changes her client's condition. In addition to being a very skilled caregiver, she is bilingual which has proved to be a huge asset in caring for her current client.

Let's End Ageism

It's not the passage of time that makes it so hard to get older. It's ageism, a prejudice that pits us against our future selves -- and each other. Ashton Applewhite urges us to dismantle the dread and mobilize against the last socially acceptable prejudice. "Aging is not a problem to be fixed or a disease to be cured," she says. "It is a natural, powerful, lifelong process that unites us all."